Whitfield Firefighters Cap Busy Year With Annual Appreciation Banquet

Lt. Jamie Franks is the 2015 Career Firefighter of the Year for the Whitfield County Fire Department.

Lt. Franks and his fellow firefighters were recognized for their efforts at the 38th Annual  Firefighter’s Appreciation Banquet held Nov. 10 at the Dalton Golf & Country Club.

Battalion Chief Kevin McDermott, who presented the award to Lt. Franks, said he and the other battalion chiefs faced a “gut-wrenching” choice while selecting the winner.

“Would we base our decision on the amount of calls that are ran? Or how about the amount of training? How about some heroic act like making a CPR save or a family pet or a human rescue for that matter?” Chief McDermott said. “These things and others we pondered about, but you know, we finally just thought how about just good old passion for the job.”

"Lt. Franks exhibits all that is good in serving the community. He impressed upon us the attitude and temperament it takes to do the job and do it right,” Chief  McDermott said, “and while content in his current assignment, it’s obvious that he can and will go far in his career.  He continually strives to be the very best he can be, both professionally and personally, and devotes a lot of  his own time to special projects and training for our department.

“He always accepts what is asked of him and usually performs above expectations. His can-do attitude is always present as he carries himself as a leader and a prime example for others in the service to follow. Simply put, he’s a pleasure to work with and tremendous asset to our department.”

Chief McDermott said Lt. Franks exhibits this behavior day in and day out while working alone at a station. “When asked how the job is going, the reply we get from him is, ‘Hey, I’m a 28-year-old lieutenant in a growing department; life is good.’ It is truly obvious this man has passion for the job. For this, the attitude and exhibiting the traits of a firefighter’s firefighter, we the chief officers are proud to present this award to Lt. Jamie Franks.”

Also honored at the banquet as Volunteer Firefighter of the Year was  Lt. Tucker Roach, praised for his nine years of service. 

David Freiberg received the Rookie Firefighter of the Year award, and Jason Mathis was named the First Responder of the Year by Hamilton EMS.

Several firefighters received special awards for service milestones, including Chief McDermott for 35 years; Roger Witt for 30 years;  Dennis Arnold, Chris Dempsey, Craig Raper,  Kerry Robinson, and Chris West for 25 years; Darrin Burnette and Mike Murphree for 20 years; and Ethan Chance, Allen Gallman and Taylor White for five years.

Earlier during the banquet, County Commission Chairman Mike Babb, accompanied by fellow commissioners Harold Brooker and Lynn Laughter, praised the firefighters for the job they are doing and said that 2016 looks to be another very good year for the department, especially as far as new equipment.

Already, SPLOST funds have paid for new turnout gear and breathing apparatuses for the firefighters, and several new fire trucks, including two ladder trucks, are on the way next year. The SPLOST will also provide funds for an 11th fire station, with the site still to be determined.

“You deliver a very impressive service at probably one of the most reasonable costs of anything that we do in the county,” Chairman Babb told the firefighters. “A lot of people don’t realize your value because they don’t understand that the insurance premiums that they’re paying on their houses could be a lot, lot different if it wasn’t for the work that you guys do every day. So we appreciate it, we appreciate everything you do for the county, and please be safe during this next year.”

Cohutta Fire Chief Ben Manis, who had passed away unexpectedly earlier in the day, was recognized for his efforts, including a moment of silence led by Chief O’Brien.

“I’ve only known him a short year,” Chief O’Brien said, “but I worked many times with him. He was a good man, and I think overall as a county and a fire service, we lost a good man today.”

Chief O’Brien reviewed the department’s accomplishments of the past year, saying “First and foremost in a chief’s mind, and I know from the chief officers here and the battalion and assistant chiefs, the biggest thing that we’re proud of right now is that we didn’t have any major injuries or accidents this  year.”

He said that the department is grateful for the voters passing the SPLOST in March, with funds being used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment designed to keep firefighters safer as they battle blazes.

“Everybody’s got their name on the tail of their jacket,” the chief pointed out. “These are little items, don’t cost much, but they mean a lot on the scene when a chief officer’s out there looking for one of his people. He may not can reach them on the radio but he can see the tail of their jacket and know they’re okay.”

Chief O’Brien said the new airpacks have already been used several times, including at a recent warehouse fire.

“It actually made me feel more comfortable knowing how much air these guys had in their tanks,” he said. “It was a large warehouse and they couldn’t find the fire at first. Knowing that they had 30-40 minutes worth of air is a lot better than 10 or 12 in a structure in case something happened.”

He praised the fire department’s recent selection as Outstanding Lead Agency for Safe Kids Georgia, with Lts. Chris West and Nathan Callaway leading the way.

“We focus a lot on car seat safety,” Chief O’Brien said. “We have about 40 car seat technicians in our department. That’s amazing, and the state really noticed how much is going on in this area. It really means a lot that as a department we’re not just fighting fires, we’re out there on medical calls and we care about the citizens and the children that are out there.”

He also noted the fire department’s efforts with the Red Cross that resulted in more than 600 smoke detectors being placed in local homes.  “I think that’s another sign of a true commitment to a well-rounded department,” he said. “It’s not just putting out fires; we actually got to help save lives from the beginning, with these smoke detectors.”

Chief O’Brien said he’s looking forward to 2016. “It’s gonna be a good year,” he said. “It’s gonna be a busy one, with a lot more training going on with the new trucks coming in. I really enjoyed this year and I’m looking forward to next year. I really appreciate everybody’s hard work, and the biggest and most important thing is let’s be safe. Let’s have fun what we’re doing, and let’s all just move forward and work together as a group.”